Home > News > Its Telescopes to the ready for an Isle of Man Stargazing Tour

Its Telescopes to the ready for an Isle of Man Stargazing Tour

Mon, 10 Dec 2018

If you love looking up in wonderment at the night sky, then there’s no better place to marvel at the stars than the Isle of Man in the entire British Isles!

And for keen stargazers who’d like to witness a celestial viewing on the Island for themselves, we’re providing the opportunity to do so in the company of one of our leading local astronomers.

You may not be aware but, according to the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, our little island boasts more great places to gaze into space than anywhere else in the nation. And they aren’t alone in their recommendation. The Dark Sky Discovery Network has designated no fewer than 26 “Dark Sky Discovery Sites” across the Isle of Man - the largest concentration throughout Britain.

Light pollution means that more than 85 per cent of the British population has never seen a truly dark sky. But with its combination of a less dense population and low light levels, the Isle of Man, situated in the middle of the Irish Sea, provides the perfect spot for viewing the heavens.

Escorted tours

We’re laying on special trips to the Island, so we’ve teamed up with Astromanx, the local organisation which provides consultancy and advisory services for astronomers. For interested groups, Astromanx founder Howard Parkin FRAS, can provide lectures and escorted tours to the top Dark Sky locations.

The Island offers an amazing observatory to the night sky and, drawing on Howard’s considerable expertise in the field of astronomy and the locale, visiting stargazers are in for a real treat.

Many of the top stargazing spots can be found at the Island’s leading heritage sites, such as the Cregneash historical village, Rushen Abbey and Peel Castle.

The best time to visit and view the Manx sky at night is between November and March. If you’d be interested in arranging a trip for your local group of astronomers, let us know and we can make all the necessary arrangements and provide more detailed information about the best viewing locations.

It’s an advantage that the best times to check out our skies are not during peak season, as this offers greater flexibility when booking travel and accommodation at short notice.

What’s more, if you’d prefer to watch the stars unaccompanied, some of the best bed and breakfasts are within Dark Skies sites. So avid astronomers can even bring their own telescopes and view the night sky without even leaving the B&B!

To book your trip to see Britain’s top Dark Sky locations, call Isle of Man Event Services asap on 01624 664460 or by email info@iomevents.com

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with in ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate Click the link to view essential information on ATOL "pack peace of mind"

Book with confidence. We are a member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA's assistance and code of conduct. We provide financial protection for your money when you buy a package holiday. If you buy other travel arrangements such as accommodation only this protection does not apply